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Media Watch: City tracking Atletico ace?

Mon 18 Feb 2019, 7:06 AM

It’s a packed Monday media watch, reflecting the fact we are now at business end of the season with City resuming midweek Champions League combat in Schalke before next Sunday’s Carabao Cup final with Chelsea.

There’s also a smattering of transfer gossip, further reflections on our FA Cup win at Newport County and ponderings on the Blues’ latest FA Women’s Cup success.

But we kick-off with an early look ahead to Wednesday’s eagerly-anticipated Champions League last 16 first leg tie away at FC Schalke.

UEFA.com carries a fascinating first-person interview with City’s German international Ilkay Gundogan who talks about growing up in the city where Schalke play as well as the Blues’ hopes for this season’s tournament.

“We had two doors and behind the back door was the backyard, where there were around 20 or 25 garages.

“My brother and other friends used these garage doors as goals and played football there, until it got so intense that garage doors got broken.

“My father then had to replace the garage doors. He was mad at us and screamed at us out the window, but we didn't really listen to him and kept playing. We had a lot of fun, come rain or shine.”

Talking about City’s past and present Champions League experiences, Ilkay added: “We've experienced a lot in the Champions League in recent years – not all of it positive, of course. We should've won it at least once.

“Every club, every team, every single player would like to lift this trophy some time.

And the Mail’s Jack Gaughan reveals how extra work in the gym has been paying extra dividends for the creative midifielder.

Writes Gaughan: “Watching the 18-year-old slug it out on the Rodney Parade cabbage patch — fiercely controlling midfield in the mud, scoring two thumping goals and carrying possession impressively — was to see him grow further.

“Newport County battled in tight spaces and met their match, even if that happened to be a diminutive one. Bulking up in the gym is clearly paying off.

“Forget the level of opposition, it was the manner of authority that really ought to put him in the frame for a place against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

Wrack scribes: “It was Steph Houghton, the the stalwart of that back line, the England captain, who broke the deadlock, whipping a free-kick over the wall and into the bottom right-hand corner of Chloe Morgan’s net. Two minutes later and it was two, Lauren Hemp delightfully chipping Morgan.

“Just five minutes after the restart it was three, a cross from the left causing panic in the box before Gemma Bonner was able to poke the ball over the line.

“The introduction of Angela Addison injected some pace into Spurs’ midfield, and it looked like she would reduce the deficit. Scythed down in the 75th minute Addison stepped up to take the resulting penalty but her effort lacked power and City keeper Ellie Roebuck got down to her right to parry it away.

“We’ve got a lot of young players but we are patient. We respected Tottenham, we knew what their strengths were and we nullified them and it’s great to come away with a clean sheet,” added Houghton.